Ryanair rapped over advert

COMPANIES using the term 'giveaway' in promotions will have to prove deals are genuinely free after a ruling by the advertising watchdog today.

Budget airline Ryanair sparked a complaint when it ran a promotion in a national newspaper which promised: 'One million flights giveaway'.

The advert claimed: 'We have a million flights to over 30 destinations in Europe from the UK and Ireland - all you need to do is pay for the taxes, fees and airport charges.'

However, the Passenger Shipping Association and the Consumers' Association complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), saying the headline was 'misleading' because additional charges applied.

Ryanair said the term 'giveaway' meant to 'denote or bestow as a gift or prize' or 'to sell very cheaply'.

The Daily Mirror, in which the advert appeared, said the contents had been approved by an industry body linked to the ASA in advance and that it had not received any complaints.

The ASA, after an investigation, labelled the headline in the promotion 'ambiguous' because readers could assume it meant flights were free.

The watchdog said: 'Flights available through the promotion were neither 'free' nor, in some cases, 'very cheap'.'

It added: 'Because consumers could not obtain flights without paying taxes and charges, the Authority considered that the implication that the flights were free was misleading.'

An ASA spokeswoman said the ruling had wider implications for advertisers.

'If something is being described as a 'giveaway', consumers shouldn't have to spend a penny,' she added.